Flare housing with simultaneously operated wick hood capping means on closure



Oct 23, 1,952 w. o. PA'JUOJA FLARE HOUSING WITH WTANEOUSLY OPERATED WICKHOOD CAPPING MEANS ON CLOSURE Filed June 6, 1950 William 0- Pajuoja INVEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 28, 1952 2,615,561" 7 HOUSING 'WI'TH' SIMULTAN-EOU'SLY vOPERATED WICK HOOD 'CAPPING MEANS N CLOSURE William 0. Pajuoja, DeerRiver, Minn 'assig nor Minn.

of one-half to Charles A. Voigt, Deer River... I

Application June 6, 1950, Serial No. 166,437

(01. cos-g1) Y I 4 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to improvements in mounting devicesforvehicle road flares and more particularly to the type of mounting devicewherein means are provided for uncapping each of a plurality of flaressimultaneously.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved device forsupporting a plurality *of flares on a truck and wherein each of theflares is uncapped by rotation of a handle means mounted on the closureof the supporting device.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improvedsupporting device for vehicle flares wherein the flare housing isprovided with means for storing a plurality of signal flags for useduring the day time.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel actuatingmeans for simultaneously uncapping the plurality of vehicle flareswherein means is provided for locking said first mentioned means in aninoperative position.

This invention also has for its objects to provide a device forsupporting a plurality of selfuncapping road flares on a vehicle that isconvenient in use, easily installed on a truck and easily disconnectedtherefrom, economical of manufacture, relativelysimple and of .generalsuperiority.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from thede'taileddescription to follow.

The means by which the objects of the present invention are accomplishedinclude a housing having an open side, a closure for the open side, aplurality of shelves secured to a side wall of the housing forsupporting individual flares, each of the flares having a spring urgedwick hood, guide means mounted on the closure, a :side memberreciprocably mounted on the guide means, a plurality of cap strapssecured to the side member in spaced relation and adapted .to have theirouter ends in juxtaposition with each of the wick hoods, a cap securedto the outer end of each of the cap straps and engageable with each ofthe wick hoods for retention thereof, actuating means for selectivelyengagingand disengaging the caps from the wick hoods, and looking meansfor securing the actuating means in one position. I

Thebest form in which I have contemplated applying my invention isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view-showing the device mounted on atruck with parts of the truck broken away Fig'iir'e isaverticai'transverse sectional view 2 taken substantially along theplane of line 2-2 of Figure 1 Figure 3 is a vertical transversesectional view through the housing showing the flare caps in partiallyraised position with one of the flares shown in section;

Figure 4 is a horizontal'transverse sectional view taken substantiallyalong the plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3 Figure 5 is an elevational viewof the present "invention showing the housing with a plurality offlares-therein and the closure inopen position;

and,

"Figure 6' is a side elevational view of a portion of the presentinvention as seen from the plane of line 6-6 of'Fig'ure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, numeral 1'0 designates generally avehicle upon which the present invention is to be mounted. As seen inFigure .1, the self uncapping flare box 12 is secured to the vehicle [0.on the door panel at l4. 7

The self uncapping road flare box l2 comprises a housing IE having upperand lower walls l8 and 20, side walls 22, :24 and '26, a vertical strap28, and a plurality of shelves secured to side walls 22 and 26and thevertical strap 28. Each of the shelves 3!! is provided with upstandingflanges '32 at its inner edges for retention of the vehicle flares 34.Any conventional means such as weld maybe employed to secur the shelves30 in the desired spaced relation in the housing 16. v

The housing I6 is also'provided with-an arcuately bent longitudinallyextending partition wall '36 gwhichis-secured to the side Walls ;24 and26 adjacent-one corner ofthe'housing. The partition' wall 36 and theadjoining "side walls provide an enclosure for storing agpluralityof;signal .fla'gsfor use during-the daytime. A sector closure element'38 isnpivotally mounted at 40 on the housing I6 for pivoting movementfrom open to closed position, covering the .opening at zthe bottom ofthe enclosureior the flags. lThe closureielement 38 is providedwith'ahandle :pro- 'jection42 adjacent itsouter periphery.

The closure Alis -hingedly attached to ;;the housing It by means of thehinges 46 and is secured in closed'relation to the'housing [6 by meansof the latch bracket 48 on 'the housing 1:6

and the latching element $0 of the closure. The closure M is also 1provided with a lurality "of bolts-'52 and nuts' fl secured to the' wall54 whereby the entire device may be secured to the door panel of thevehicle Ill.

The device is provided with an actuating handle 56 which is rotatablymounted with respect to the wall 54 and is adapted to be positioned onthe inner side of the cab of the vehicle In for manipulation by thedriver.

On the inner face of the wall 54, a pair of guide bars 58 are fixedlysecured at 60. Also mounted on the inner face of the wall '54 is asleeve bearing bracket 62 which is secured by means of screws 65.Rotatably mounted in the bearing bracket 62 is a handle shaft 64 havinga non-circular end engageable by the handle member 56 whereby the handlemember is slidable on the handle shaft 64 but rotates therewith. Theouter end of the handle shaft 64 is provided with a disc spring retainer68 against which a spring 68 has one end abutting for normally urgingthe handle 55 in a direction of the wall 54. The wall 54 is alsoprovided with a lock pin which is engageable in an aperture 12 providedin the handle 56 to prevent rotation of the handle except when desired.

The inner end of the handle shaft 64 has secured thereto an arm 14 andpin 16 forming a crank. The crank 14-|6 is provided with a connectingrod 18 which is rotatably mounted thereon at pin 80. A slide bar 821 isconnected to the connecting rod 18 by means of pin 84 which is rotatablyreceived in an aperture at the outer end of the connecting rod 18. Theslide bar 82 is provided with a plurality of longitudinal slots 86 whichare adapted to receive the ends of the guide rods 58.

The slide member 82 is provided with a plurality of transverselyextending and vertically spaced cap straps 88 which are rigidly securedthereto by means of weld or the like at 90. Each of the cap straps 88 isprovided with a bevelled cap 92 provided with a sealing ring 94.

Each of the plurality of vehicle flares 34 is provided with a downwardlyextending beveled flared neck 95 in which is slidably received the wickhood 96. The wick hood 96 is resiliently urged outwardly by means of aspring 98 and is engageable with the cap 92.

It is believed that from the foregoing description taken in conjunctionwith the drawings, the operation of the present invention will bereadily apparent to one skilled in the art. When the driver of thevehicle desires to use the flares, he merely manipulates the actuatinghandle 55, urging it against the spring 68 and out of engagement withthe lock pin 10. He then may rotate the handle 55 and handle shaft 64causing the rotation of the crankand reciprocation of the slide bar 82by means of the connecting rod. The reciprocation of the slide memberlifts the cap 92 which is sealingly engaged in the flared neck 95,permitting the wick hood to rise. The truck driver may then get out ofthe cab of the vehicle and unlatch the housing It from the closure 44,pivotingon the hinge means 4|, and

then he may remove the flares for positioning on the roadway as desired.

Some changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of the partsof my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of myinvention.

.A housing having an open side, a closure for said open side, aplurality of shelves secured to a side wall of said housing forsupporting individual flares of the type having spring urged wick hoods,vertical guide means mounted on said closure, a slide memberreciprocably mounted on said guide means, a plurality of cap strapsfixedly secured to said slide member in spaced relation to each otherand having their outer ends overlying said shelves in vertically spacedrelation thereto, a cap secured to said outer end of each of said capstraps for engaging each of such wick hoods for retention thereof, andactuating means for simultaneously displacing said caps from such wickhoods.

2. A device for supporting a plurality of self uncapping road fiares ona vehicle comprising: A housing having an open side, a closure for saidopen side, a plurality of shelves secured to a side wall of said housingfor supporting individual flares of the type having spring urged wickhoods, vertical guide means mounted on said closure, a slide memberreciprocably mounted on said guide means, a plurality of cap strapsfixedly secured to said slide member in spaced relation to each otherand having their outer ends overlying said shelves in vertically spacedrelation thereto, a cap secured to said outer end of each of said capstraps for engaging each of such wick hoods for retention thereof, andactuating means for simultaneously displacing said caps from such wickhoods, said last named means mounted on said closure and connected tosaid slide member, and locking means for securing said last named meansin one position.

3. A device for supporting a plurality of self uncapping road flares ona vehicle comprising: A housing having an open side, a closure for saidopen side, a plurality of shelves secured to a side wall of said housingfor supportingindividual flares of the type having spring urged wickhoods, vertical guide means mounted on said closure, a slide memberreciprocably mounted on said guide means, a plurality of cap strapsfixedly secured to said slide member in spaced relation to each otherand having their outer ends overlying said shelves in vertically spacedrelation thereto, a cap secured to said outer end of each of said capstraps for engaging each of such wick hoods for retention thereof, andactuating means for simultaneously displacing said caps from such wickhoods, said last named means including a handle mounted on said closure,a crank fixed to the inner end of said closure, a connecting rodrotatably secured to said crank and to a connecting pin on said slidemember whereby rotation of said handle imparts reciprocation to saidslide bar.

4. A device for supporting a plurality of self uncapping road flares ona vehicle comprising: A housing having an open side, a closure for saidopen side, a plurality of shelves secured to a side wall of said housingfor supporting individual flares of the type having spring urged wickhoods, vertical guide means mounted on said closure, a slide memberreciprocably mounted on said guide means, a plurality of cap strapsfixedly secured to said slide member in spaced relation to each otherand having their outer ends overlying said shelves in vertically spacedrelation thereto, a cap secured to said outer end of each of said capstraps for engaging each of such wick hoods for retention thereof, andactuating means for simultaneously displacing said caps from such wickhoods, said last namedrneans mounted on said closure and connected tosaid slide membfer I Number and locking meansai i securing said lastnamed means in one positiori said lockingmeans inchiding a lock pinmour'iteii on said closure, an apler ture in said actuatirrgi neans intowhich said lock pin is projectable, means for normally urg The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Forsyth Oct. 18, 1932 Pittrofi Mar. 9,1937 Embury Dec. 26, 1939 Cravaritis June 25, 1940 Ritz-Woller Junell,1941 Hutt Jan. 12, 1943 Ferguson May 9, 1950

